What can I do just to relieve the pain? Ibuprofen does not work😣

Question

Hello, Mr. Pharmacist. I have a sore throat but not on one side. I have looked in the back of my throat and I don't see any white spot. I also don't see that my tonsils are very swollen. I feel that my throat is inflamed and it hurts on both sides at the bottom of my jaw when I press. I have chills but also like electrical discharges in my body with aches and pains. I have a fever (I did not take it) but I feel that my body is hot. I have trouble sleeping well and my head hurts a lot. I do not have a cough and my nose is not running.

Frédéric Ouellet · Accepted Answer

Hello ma'am, Generally speaking, if Ibuprofen does not provide relief, it is possible to use Acetaminophen (or Tylenol) to decrease pain, either as a replacement or in combination. A method of combining the 2 medications allows one to always have an active medication, thus decreasing pain. Thus, one can take Acetaminophen 1000 mg every 6 hours and Ibuprofen 400 mg every 6 hours as well, but staggered by 3 hours with the intake of Acetaminophen. In other words, there are also products that act locally in the throat such as lozenges that can decrease pain. Look for products containing Menthol or Benzocaine to have this effect. It is important to always check with your pharmacist to see if you can take these medications with your medical profile. Specifically for your case, a medical consultation should be considered. In fact, when a patient has 3 of the following 4 criteria, pharyngitis is suspected: Fever Absence of cough Swollen and tender throat nodes   Presence of pus in the tonsils You appear to have 3 of these 4 symptoms, so a throat culture and doctor's diagnosis are indicated. If pharyngitis is diagnosed, antibiotic treatment may be prescribed to prevent possible complications. However, no treatment can reduce the duration of the infection. Treatments are only used to decrease symptoms or prevent complications. Hopefully, your question has been answered, Good day 😊 Frédéric Ouellet, pharmacy student Supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, Pharmacist